[kazana]

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Yeah AIDS seems easy to avoid, yet people always think with their genitals [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img].

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I wouldn't mind them thinking with their lower regions, if they just used protection. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

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Anyways I know what you mean with your somerset west comment, it's definately true, I stayed at a B&B owned by a german, he was the most friendly german I met in my entire life though (and I met a lot of germans [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img] ), definately good times.

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Yeah, there are a few nice Germans (I'm just going to be so bold and include myself), especially down there. After a while they seem to adapt the laidback life style from the capetownians.
It's just kinda weird to see them all flocking to Somerset - real Bratwurst colony. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

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What I was wondering though, I'm a surf addict, and was slightly disappointed not being able to find a surfboard because all shops were closed (Christmas). So I just went for a swim instead, but practically nobody was in the ocean, they all said it was full of sharks. It was kind of weird swimming there all alone constantly checking if I wasn't being chased by a great white. Is the shark population really that high, or are South Africans just scared easily? [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img].

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I don't know where you've been swimming, but most beaches should be safe enough. I wouldn't go for extended swims in the eastern areas, though (Durban and 500km n/e, s/w) since those waters are really infested, not only with whiteys, but also the more dangerous bullsharks and tgersharks.
Not that it's likely that anything would happen, but the sharks per m^3 ratio is to high for my comfort. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Also, there are shark attacks on surfers (and sometimes swimmers) on a regular basis also around Cape Town (especially Hout Bay). So whenever something happens again, people won't go swimming until they've forgotten about ir (give or take 1 week).
In my last three years down there, there must've been like 10-12 incidents.

Having said that, I've been surfing a couple of times between Strand and Hermanus, and didn't feel scared at all. My buddy down there is surfing at least once a week in that area, and he only think he saw a shark fin once in his life. Could've been a dolphin, seal or whatnotelse. But he wasn't ging to paddle out there to find out.

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I'm seriously considering moving closer to the sea as soon as I finished my school, leaning more towards the area between San Diego/Los Angeles now. Cape Town didn't really live up to the image I had of it, don't get me wrong though it was still a great city!

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Yeah, I absolutely understand moving to the sea. I'm missing the warm climate most, and Dublin with it's flat calm water doesn't feel like sea at all. It's just cold and wet. Eeeuw.

I'd love to go and see SD & LA some time, but haven't taken the time to do so, yet. I've preferred to go to SA or south eastern asia instead.